SWiFT Discussions - Atheist Nexus2018-03-20T02:26:13Zhttp://atheistnexus.org/group/swift/forum?feed=yes&xn_auth=noAdopt-a-Highwaytag:atheistnexus.org,2012-04-10:2182797:Topic:19205092012-04-10T01:56:52.405ZKristen Himsl Hunterhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/KristenHimslHunter
<p>Hello, <br></br><br></br>At the last SWIFT monthly meetup we discussed putting together an Adopt-a-Highway program. We are going to organize a pick-up 3 times a year (between April and November) and I know a lot of people are excited about it! I've chosen the first Sunday in May as our first pick-up (oops! I just realized this was the next monthly topic meeting, it can be changed...) and now we need to choose a location. In order to apply for the program we need to give our top 3 preferred…</p>
<p>Hello, <br/><br/>At the last SWIFT monthly meetup we discussed putting together an Adopt-a-Highway program. We are going to organize a pick-up 3 times a year (between April and November) and I know a lot of people are excited about it! I've chosen the first Sunday in May as our first pick-up (oops! I just realized this was the next monthly topic meeting, it can be changed...) and now we need to choose a location. In order to apply for the program we need to give our top 3 preferred locations and the WisDOT will assign one of those if it is available and safe. We will apply for our sign to read "Atheist Community of Milwaukee".<br/><br/>One location idea would be off of I-43 near Waukesha. <br/><br/>Anyone else have a preferred location suggestion?</p>
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<p>Thanks! Kristen</p> Why are tax breaks given to the religious? Seriously, I'm really asking...tag:atheistnexus.org,2011-11-12:2182797:Topic:17286712011-11-12T19:51:51.073ZMark Michicichhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/MarkMichicich
<p>I have a basic understanding of the separation of church and state, and I am a huge advocate. It's why I joined ffrf. I think people should be free to be religious or not. I get why church/state separation protects everyone, the religious and non-religious alike.</p>
<p>But I'm not completely clear on why tax breaks are given to the religious. Precisely how does the U.S. Constitution make it illegal to tax the clergy at the same rate as non-clergy? Why should the teacher's income and…</p>
<p>I have a basic understanding of the separation of church and state, and I am a huge advocate. It's why I joined ffrf. I think people should be free to be religious or not. I get why church/state separation protects everyone, the religious and non-religious alike.</p>
<p>But I'm not completely clear on why tax breaks are given to the religious. Precisely how does the U.S. Constitution make it illegal to tax the clergy at the same rate as non-clergy? Why should the teacher's income and property be taxed differently than the priest's? Why should the teacher have to make up the difference because the priest does not pay his share?</p>
<p>[This is a different question, I realize, but I also sometimes wonder why non-relgious businesses have to substantiate their claims, but not religious businesses. Don't psychics and astrologists carry the disclaimer, "for entertainment purposes only"? How is the priest's supernatural claims any different?]</p>
<p>I just think it would be more fair, honest, and transparent if all employees and business were treated the same. And I don't see how this would preclude people from having freedom of/from religion. How does the priest having to pay his share infringe on my right to pick any church on Sunday (or sleep in as the case may be)?</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Mark</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> SWiFT members, do you think Jesus was a historical person?tag:atheistnexus.org,2011-11-12:2182797:Topic:17287512011-11-12T18:57:27.878ZMark Michicichhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/MarkMichicich
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I'm not sure this question is of broad interest to SWiFT members, but as an ex-Catholic, I can't help wondering and would love to know what others think.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I raise the question of Jesus' historical authenticity in the book I wrote for my kids. It's provoked interesting responses from my family and friends. Like, "It's one thing to not believe in god, it's another to deny history." Below are the questions I raise in my…</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I'm not sure this question is of broad interest to SWiFT members, but as an ex-Catholic, I can't help wondering and would love to know what others think.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I raise the question of Jesus' historical authenticity in the book I wrote for my kids. It's provoked interesting responses from my family and friends. Like, "It's one thing to not believe in god, it's another to deny history." Below are the questions I raise in my book, <em>god is redudnant</em>. I would love to know what SWiFT members think.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I assume we can all agree that Jesus is not god, but what is the likelihood that he isn't even historical?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Thanks,</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Mark</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color: #000000;">"Personally, I’d always assumed Jesus was a historical figure. But I now admit</span> <span style="color: #000000;">it may have been an assumption on my part. I thought the lack of historical evidence for Jesus was the result of him being an itinerant preacher from a backwater town. Like Thomas Jefferson, I’d always regarded Jesus as a historical figure mythologized by the evangelists to compete with the contemporary gods he was intended to replace. After all, there are other examples of historical figures being mythologized, such as Alexander the Great.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">...with so many authors, so many audiences, so many motives – Judaize, Hellenize, Catholicize – and so much tampering [with the Bible], how can you possibly deduce the historical Jesus with any accuracy, or even if there was one? Jesus’ historical authenticity is largely an assumption on my part with little to no evidence. My confidence is now waning in light of the striking parallels with other ancient savior-god cults, Old Testament stories, and other historical writings. But assuming Jesus was a historical figure, I certainly don’t believe he was a god, and, frankly, I’m not convinced he thought so either.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">I wonder if Jesus isn’t a little like Daniel Webster. Maybe there was a historical preacher from Galilee just like there was a historical statesman from</span> New England<span style="color: #000000;">. But maybe not all of the stories we associate with them are historically accurate. For example, Daniel Webster never really defended a New Hampshire farmer who sold his soul to the devil, did he? It’s just a great story based on an earlier one, <i>The Devil and Tom Walker</i>, which itself is really a retelling of the old German legend <i>Faust</i>. Similarly, maybe Jesus wasn’t really born of a virgin and didn’t really survive his own death. Maybe the gospels are based on earlier stories which themselves are really a retelling of the old Egyptian myth of Horus. Once ancient tales take on mythic proportions, it becomes rather difficult to separate fact from fiction, history from theology. But this doesn't mean there wasn't a historical preacher named Jesus in first century Galilee."</span></p>
</blockquote> Messages on Busestag:atheistnexus.org,2011-06-27:2182797:Topic:13802222011-06-27T17:57:03.223Zmojo5501http://atheistnexus.org/profile/mojo5501
<p>Noticed an 'ad' on a city bus today that caught my attention. It had the headline: "Are you hiding your baby?" It made me laugh. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't mean to make light of this message, but shouldn't the 'ad' read "Are you hiding your pregnancy?". It was for some sort of safe haven...safehavenforinfants.com or something like that. I think it's related to the program that allows women with unwanted pregnancies to leave their newborns at hospitals without fear of being arrested. It…</p>
<p>Noticed an 'ad' on a city bus today that caught my attention. It had the headline: "Are you hiding your baby?" It made me laugh. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't mean to make light of this message, but shouldn't the 'ad' read "Are you hiding your pregnancy?". It was for some sort of safe haven...safehavenforinfants.com or something like that. I think it's related to the program that allows women with unwanted pregnancies to leave their newborns at hospitals without fear of being arrested. It just made me picture women hiding their babies around the house: "Now where did I hide that darn baby?" (Just shows how my mind works after a hectic day at work.)</p> Reconciling Science and Religiontag:atheistnexus.org,2011-06-11:2182797:Topic:13361602011-06-11T01:15:41.197Zmojo5501http://atheistnexus.org/profile/mojo5501
I wanted to discuss the anti-rational aspects of Christianity. Why haven't fundamentalists and creationists gone away in modern society? I am always amazed and discouraged by the amount of people who refuse to give credit where credit is due to science for all the countless advances we have made: In medicine, sanitation, transportation, genetics, etc etc. Scientific evidence is not enough to convince them that they are swimming against the tide. Or is it that our science education just…
I wanted to discuss the anti-rational aspects of Christianity. Why haven't fundamentalists and creationists gone away in modern society? I am always amazed and discouraged by the amount of people who refuse to give credit where credit is due to science for all the countless advances we have made: In medicine, sanitation, transportation, genetics, etc etc. Scientific evidence is not enough to convince them that they are swimming against the tide. Or is it that our science education just hasn't been good enough in our public schools and media? Living with religion in Southern Wisconsintag:atheistnexus.org,2011-06-08:2182797:Topic:13298092011-06-08T22:28:31.472ZA3Kr0nhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/AKron
<p>Mojo asked what we should talk about, so how about talking about religion where we live?</p>
<p>I don't hear too many people praise this, or praise that in Janesville, but I know most people are religious. Talking about religion at work is a big no-no. I volunteered at GIFTS <a href="http://God%20Is%20Faithful%20Temporary%20Shelter" target="_blank">(God Is Faithful Temporary Shelter)</a> a couple times when they first started up, and there were too many "praise the Lord", and "bless you"s…</p>
<p>Mojo asked what we should talk about, so how about talking about religion where we live?</p>
<p>I don't hear too many people praise this, or praise that in Janesville, but I know most people are religious. Talking about religion at work is a big no-no. I volunteered at GIFTS <a href="http://God%20Is%20Faithful%20Temporary%20Shelter" target="_blank">(God Is Faithful Temporary Shelter)</a> a couple times when they first started up, and there were too many "praise the Lord", and "bless you"s for me. Every one asked what church I was from, too. They said anybody could volunteer, but now I see on their website you need to go through your church. I volunteer at House of Mercy homeless shelter, which is secular, although there's no rule against donating bibles and such. There's even a guy that comes in on Sundays to conduct a "church" service, although he's not allowed to do that during his volunteer hours.</p>
<p>How's that for a start on what to talk about?</p>
<p>-Andy</p>